Group cooperation, inclusion and disaffected pupils: some responses to informal learning in the music classroom

Written version of RIME paper (GCID) for MER, Exeter 2007

What happened in the first few lessons? To being with we seemed to be
confronted with chaos, which is exactly what teachers feared. However, on closer
examination it became apparent that what appears chaotic can actually contain a kind
of order and focus of its own. Here is an example of a group of girls working together
at the beginning of the second lesson. They were in a room without a teacher, and
were unaware that they were being recorded, although they later gave permission for
the recording to be used. You will hear them listening to a couple of different songs,
discussing what instruments might be suitable to use, expressing their tastes,
discussing which song to choose, thinking about the words, trying out a few beats on
the drums, and singing along.

Music is playing then comes to an end. One person claps the beat.

-Hey, can we use the drum thing to make it go along with this?

-Ooh, I like this song.

-I love this song.

-So, just see, is there another one, or are we definitely doing that? Are we
definitely doing that?

-I like this song.

Various speech, largely inaudible. Track starts up again.

-Wait, put it back on the other song. Ow!

Largely inaudible talk continues.

-You shouldn’t - where’s the words?

-It’s there.

-Where? Oh right.

12:40 The song starts up again for the second time. There is playing
along with the drums, plus talk, going on all the way through.

-No, we could do that thing (crash on cymbal).

-OK, we could do that in the chorus.

-Yeah.

Music plays. Interesting to hear the drummer is playing the vocal
rhythms at this very early stage. Up to 14:00.

-OK are we going to use the agogo here?

Music plays.

-Shall I count to three?

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